A senior Brazilian delegation has recently visited World Food Programme flood response operations in Cambodia which have received generous support from the Government of Brazil. The delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador Paulo Cesar Meira de Vasconcellos accompanied by H.E. Dr. Nhim Vanda, Senior Minister and First Vice President of the National Committee for Disaster Management, Edith Heines, WFP Cambodia Deputy Country Director and Bill Pennington, Assistant Country Director for international NGO CARE.

The mission visited two WFP distribution sites in Prey Veng province, where they were able to hear the stories of those badly affected by the floods and see first-hand the delivery of much-needed food assistance to 1,000 families as part of efforts to help them re-start their lives. The delegation also attended a handover ceremony at one of the sites in Prey Veng to acknowledge officially the gift from Brazil.

“For Brazil it is an honour to take part at the food distribution, together with Minister Nhim Vanda, WFP Cambodia and CARE,” Ambassador Vasconcellos said at the ceremony. “Our contribution is a gift from the people of Brazil to the people of Cambodia.”

WFP’s flood recovery operation aims to support the food needs of 30,000 flood-affected households (about 150,000 people) in nine Cambodian provinces through the provision of a monthly ration of rice, canned fish, vegetable oil and fortified corn-soya blend, as well as sugar or high-energy biscuits. WFP is also assisting poor households with rice rations by providing off-season labour opportunities on projects designed to rehabilitate essential rural infrastructure damaged by the floods. Another 5,000 households will receive food assistance to help them through the lean season this year, a time when food supplies are low.

Brazil is a strong supporter of WFP’s work in Cambodia and worldwide. “Brazil has been consistently upgrading its humanitarian assistance actions in Asia and around the world in the last few years. But we aim to do much more. Brazil wishes to be a permanent partner of Cambodia in the road to its development. Today signifies just one form of our support to the people of Cambodia. I would like to thank WFP for its vital work. The Brazilian Government considers the organization to be a major partner in the fight against hunger and in the search for poverty eradication,’’ said Ambassador Vasconcellos.